| name | manuscript-formatting |
| description | Use this skill for "format manuscript", "prepare for submission", "journal formatting", "LaTeX template", "submission checklist", "format references", "BibTeX", "author guidelines", "page limits", "format for Nature", "format for IEEE", or when the user wants to format a manuscript for journal submission. |
| version | 0.2.1 |
Manuscript Formatting and Submission Preparation
Format manuscripts to meet journal-specific requirements and prepare submission packages.
When to Use
- Formatting a manuscript for a specific journal
- Preparing a submission package (cover letter, figures, supplementary)
- Converting between formats (Word to LaTeX, markdown to LaTeX)
- Checking compliance with author guidelines
- Managing references and BibTeX
Common Journal Formats
IEEE
- Template: IEEEtran class
- Columns: Two-column
- References: Numbered, [1] style
- Figures: Fit within column or span both columns
- Page limit: Varies (typically 6-8 for conference, 12-14 for journal)
\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{cite}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{graphicx}
Nature/Science
- Format: Single column, specific heading hierarchy
- References: Superscript numbered
- Word limit: ~3000-5000 words (main text)
- Figures: Max 6-8, submitted as separate files
- Methods: Often separate section with no word limit
PNAS
- Template: pnas-new class
- Columns: Two-column in print, single for review
- Word limit: ~4500 words
- References: Numbered
- Significance statement: Required, 120 words max
PLoS ONE
- Format: No specific template required
- References: Numbered, Vancouver style
- No length restriction
- Data availability: Statement required
Elsevier
- Template: elsarticle class
- Multiple formats: preprint, review, final
\documentclass[preprint,12pt]{elsarticle}
LaTeX Essentials
Document Structure
\documentclass[options]{class}
\usepackage{packages}
\title{Title}
\author{Authors}
\begin{document}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
\end{abstract}
\section{Introduction}
\section{Methods}
\section{Results}
\section{Discussion}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}
BibTeX Management
@article{smith2024,
author = {Smith, John and Doe, Jane},
title = {Title of the Paper},
journal = {Journal Name},
year = {2024},
volume = {10},
pages = {1--15},
doi = {10.1000/example}
}
Common BibTeX styles:
plain - numbered, sorted alphabeticallyunsrt - numbered, order of citationieeetr - IEEE transactions styleapalike - APA-like author-year
Cross-references
\label{fig:results} % Label a figure
\ref{fig:results} % Reference by number
Figure~\ref{fig:results} % Standard format
Submission Checklist
Before Submission
Cover Letter Template
Dear Editor,
We submit our manuscript titled "{TITLE}" for consideration
in {JOURNAL}.
{1-2 sentences: what the study did and found}
{1-2 sentences: why this matters to the journal's readership}
{1 sentence: confirmation of originality and no concurrent submission}
We suggest the following reviewers:
1. {Name, Affiliation, Email}
2. {Name, Affiliation, Email}
Sincerely,
{Corresponding Author}
Format Conversion
Markdown to LaTeX
pandoc manuscript.md -o manuscript.tex --template=journal-template.tex --bibliography=refs.bib --citeproc
Word to LaTeX
pandoc manuscript.docx -o manuscript.tex --extract-media=figures/
LaTeX to Word (for journals requiring .docx)
pandoc manuscript.tex -o manuscript.docx --bibliography=refs.bib --citeproc
Additional Resources
